On the Line

It’s been a dark and stormy week for the FEI. If you’re a horse-world newshound like me, you’ve heard already heard all about the FEI’s new Equine Prohibited Substance List. And if you haven’t heard yet, the big news is that for the first time in 20 years, last week the FEI chose to allow certain low levels of drugs in competing horses. Bute, Banamine and Salicylic Acid (aspirin) are three little substances at the center of what’s turning into one hell of a fight, with many countries, big riders and organizations already drawing lines in the sand.

Mclain Ward, USET veterinarian Dr. Tim Ober, USEF (which already allows for twice the amount of bute and banamine) and FEI president Princess Haya have all publicly voiced their support for the change.

Most European countries immediately spoke out against anything less than a zero tolerance policy. Both organizers of the Badminton CCI**** and the Aachen horse show have stated that their events will still run with a zero tolerance policy. That sets them up for a big showdown next year, when competitors who attend their 2010 events could possibly be consecutively sanctioned by the FEI to medicate their horses, and forbidden to do so by show organizers.

There has even been talk of a European boycott of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games under these new rules. Oh boy. I don’t think the FEI would actually let that happen; no one wants to imagine a WEG without the Europeans. . .

With issues like this in mind, yesterday the FEI delayed implementation of the rule, which was to take effect January 1, 2010. The FEI will no allow for more debate and research into one of the most controversial issues to rear its head, well, ever.

Below are some strong arguments for both sides of this issue. What do you think??

Pro:

“The horse is the athlete in our sport and must be allowed the same controlled medication that human athletes are allowed. These medications are. . to relieve small muscle aches, and as a preventative measure for greater injuries.” –Mclain Ward

“These medications are not considered by WADA to be performance enhancing in human athletes and because of this distinction, they are not prohibited. By placing restrictions on the use of NSAIDS to include love level administrations and continuing a rigorous program of examinations and inspections, the FEI is providing for equine welfare. . .” -USEF

Con:

“Without clean sport, quite simply, you’re going to lose your public, you’re going to lose your sponsors and your sport actually is going to be as good as dead.” –Lord John Stevens, FEI ethics committee

“. . . the ‘progressive list’ will allow e.g. anti-inflammatory drugs and doses of painkillers to be applied at such high dosages that a competition start will become possible even for horses that are in fact unfit to compete.” –www.no-fei.com